Bob Frantz: Ben Tate a perfect fit for Cleveland Browns

Like free-agent dollars flying out of Jimmy Haslamís hands with every Ray Farmer phone call, letís go here, there, and everywhere ...
-- When the Browns had Ben Tate in for a free-agent recruiting visit last week, I was begging them not to let him leave town without getting his autograph on a dotted line. They didnít. This automatically makes Ray Farmer the best GM the Browns have had since their return in 1999.
Tate was a gem just waiting to be discovered in Houston, but he was stuck behind All-Pro Arian Foster. Tateís hard-running, pounding-yet-slashing running style will be a perfect fit in the AFC North and ó provided Farmer is able to address the gaping holes on the offensive line ó he should be a force in Kyle Shanahanís new offense. Canít say enough good things about this acquisition.
-- Did I mention the offensive line? Well somebody should, because nobody in Berea is talking about it. With the additions of Tate, wide receiver Andrew Hawkins, linebacker Karlos Dansby and safety Donte Whitner, Farmer has plugged holes in both offensive and defensive backfields but has neglected the lines on both sides of the ball. Not to worry, however, as we can expect the club to focus heavily on those positions, particularly the guards, in the draft on May 8.
-- Speaking of guards, former Pro Bowler Richie Incognito has apparently finished his rehabilitation and therapy to help him deal with ďmental stressĒ in the wake of his blow-up with Jonathan Martin last season. If youíre hoping the Browns might be interested in bringing the veteran to Berea for a chat, join the club. As long as Farmer and head coach Mike Pettine have club psychologists in the room with them to evaluate his mental state, they should absolutely talk to the nine-year pro. He would be on his best behavior after the controversy, and he would be an absolute force at a position of great need in Cleveland.
-- When the Indians brought Nick Swisher into town, they were hoping to get a big bat. Just as importantly, however, they were hoping to have someone to lead.
Mission accomplished.
Swisher did exactly what a veteran leader is supposed to do when he confronted Tribe legend Kenny Lofton at the Indians FanFest event back in January.
Lofton had repeatedly questioned the Indians status as a playoff team last October, and Swisher had heard enough of it. Eyewitness reports say that Swisher went nose-to-nose with Lofton and that the confrontation nearly got physical.
Swisher and other Indian veterans were reportedly so cold to Lofton when he arrived in Goodyear, Ariz., as a guest instructor, that the former center fielder cut his visit short and removed himself from the premises.
The incident may not amount to anything, and all parties involved consider it over with, but what it did was shine a light on just how much unity and camaraderie there is in this Indians camp, and will be in their clubhouse. They have each otherís backs no matter who is coming for them ó even a bitter former Indian.
-- Interestingly, the question Lofton raised isnít necessarily without merit, as a one-game do-or-die contest to see who gets to play in the division series may be viewed by some as more of a ďplay-inĒ game than a ďplay-offĒ game, but two things come to mind: 1) What would be Loftonís motivation, even if he viewed the game that way, to denigrate the teamís postseason accomplishment? And, 2) The Indians finished with the fourth best record in the AL, and would have been the wild card representative in the division playoffs in any other year.
Yes, Kenny, it was a playoff game.
-- I donít know whoís going to win the NCAA tournament, but I have a suspicion that it wonít be one of the No. 1 seeds. In fact, in the sole bracket I filled out on Monday (FEAR ME, GILBERT AND BUFFET!), my Final Four consisted of three No. 4 seeds and one No. 3 seed. This is shaping up to be one of the most wide-open tournaments in recent years, and thatís why we love it.
-- President Barack Obama was on ESPN again this week, spending his valuable time doing ďBarack-etologyĒ with the sports anchors, filling out his bracket. The commander in chief chose Michigan State as his national champion, and Vladimir Putin responded immediately by amassing troops on the border of East Lansing.
I tried to log on to ESPNís ďBarack-etologyĒ page to compare my bracket to the Presidentís, but the website was down.
-- Yes, Kylie Irving is injured again. And yes, I know the temptation is to say the Cavs canít win with this guy because heís soft. Heís made of glass. Iím asking you now to resist that temptation. Do not let this biceps injury dissuade you from the belief that we have one of the most skilled basketball players on the planet wearing one of our uniforms, and that as he matures, and the Cavaliersí roster matures, he is going to help lead us to great heights.
His body will grow and mature. His leadership will evolve. When the Cavsí front office finally adds the missing link to this roster, possibly with another visit to the NBA lottery, secure in the knowledge that Anthony Bennett isnít in it, you will see one of the NBAís elite leading the way. And his name is Kyrie Irving.
-- Security at Quicken Loans Arena ejected a fan on March 18 during the Cavs-Heat game, not because he rushed the court, but because he threatened to rush it on Twitter. Kind of premature, I think. How did they know the guy, who was a LeBron James fan, wasnít planning to rush out and rub down The Kingís elbow? Remember, it only gets sore when heís in Cleveland.